The Locket
by Ali'sAwakening
Summary: Dark and unforgivable secrets are harbored in the Nerezza family, maybe even darker than the Dark Lord himself. Teodora, the last heir to the Nerezza family bloodline, will do anything to uncover those deeply concealed secrets. She befriends the most unlikely of friends; Draco Malfoy. Together they will plow through challenging obstacles, growing closer through their first year.
1. The Midnight Garden

**Prologue**

At Nerezza Manor, the sun had just said its goodnight to its friend, the moon, when Teodora came gliding barefoot down a short, dirt path. The girl grinned ear to ear when she noticed that each flower on either side of the dirt path began to bloom, each emitting a colourful fluorescent light. At last, the girl came to a halt when she reached the end of the path. Before her was the most beautiful sight she had ever seen. There was a garden, with various sizes of trees and bushes, different species of flowers that not every human even knew existed. As if on cue, every specimen began to bloom as soon as Teodora's eyes laid upon them. All along the hedges, different patterns of butterfly wings could be seen fluttering. In the center of the garden, a large water fountain, with what looked to be an angel as the centerpiece, stood. An inviting pink glow emitted up from the water, causing Teodora to slowly make her way to the fountain. The girl sat down, blissfully taking in her surroundings.

Snapping out of her daze, Teodora heard a slight rustle from behind one of the hedges. She stood up slowly, making her way to the hedge. "Who is there," she asked warily. No answer. "Don't be afraid, I won't hurt you," she added after a few moments of silence. Just then she heard a dark, spine tingling chuckle. A boy who looked to be about her age stepped out from behind the hedge. Hair as white as a bone, eyes as blue as the stormiest of oceans, and a menacing smile was what the boy greeted her with. Teodora took a few steps back, having to admit that she was a little frightened.

"Me, be afraid of a little girl?" The boy's lips twisted into a smirk, hoping to get a rise out of the girl for calling her 'little'. However, Teodora was used to being called 'little'. She hadn't even reached five foot. So, to his dismay, Teodora only blinked.

"Well, good for you," she replied with a smile. The boy looked quite offended by this, believing that Teodora was trying to be sarcastic. Teodora was anything but the sarcastic type. Besides, she was only nine, and at that age, she hadn't the vocabulary to make such remarks to anyone. Noticing his expression, she continued on. "My name is Teodora." Teodora dared to extend her hand out to him.

"Malfoy," was all he said. Malfoy glanced at her hand, looking as if the girl had rubbed it against something highly contaminated. Teodora frowned a little, popping out her bottom lip in an unintentional pout.

It was in that moment that Malfoy really looked at the girl. Teodora's eyes were the size of the moon, and were a calming shade of sea-foam green. He couldn't tell what exact color her hair was, because of all the different colors from the plants reflecting off of it. She was quite a bit shorter than him, and when it finally came down to it, he just couldn't resist the pout. He clasped her hand sheepishly, looking defeated.

**A/N: Alright, so, this is my first fan fiction. So, please leave a review! Thank you!**


	2. An Act of Kindness

Teodora Nerezza lay on her full-sized bed, her legs hanging off the edge. She gazed up at the glass dome-like ceiling, naming the constellations she could see in her head. Teodora's room just so happened to be the observatory room. She had begged her father to let her live in there rather than in one of the many luxurious rooms in the manor. Eventually, her mind drifted off to the boy she met the other night. After they had shook hands, he had told her that it was vital that he return to his home before his mother and father had noticed he was gone. _"Farewell, Teodora Nerezza," he told her, giving her one last meaningful look before retreating in the direction in which he had come. _Teodora smiled to herself and sat up quickly, hopping off her bed like an eager little bunny-rabbit. She skipped to her wardrobe and flung open the doors, retrieving a lovely periwinkle-coloured cloak. She draped it over her shoulders and walked to her bedroom door. She gripped the doorknob, slowly turning it as to not make a loud clicking sound. Finally, she crept quietly out the door and down the main hall. She descended the grand staircase that lead to the entryway of the manor cautiously, slipping out the front doors. And with that, Teodora was out into the night.

Teodora found herself running down the familiar dirt path, only this time, the flowers on either side of the path had already bloomed and were emitting their usual fluorescent light. This told Teodora that someone had already come by, which only made her excitement grow. She made it to the garden at last, smiling at its welcoming glow. Teodora slowly started to wander about the garden, her eyes peeled for the one whom she was seeking. She extended her right hand, brushing her fingertips over the butterfly-winged abundant hedge as she walked. Her tiny heart fluttered when her eyes caught sight of the mysterious blonde boy sitting at the fountain.

"Hello, friend," she said gently. The boy looked up, meeting Teodora's eyes.

"Friend? I don't have friends, I don't need friends, and I would certainly never consider _you_ as one," the boy replied rather coldly. Normally, such a comment would sting, but Malfoy's expression wasn't of coldness, but of pain. He looked away from her, his mind drifting off to another place. Teodora made her way over to the fountain and sat down next to him, tucking the bottom of her cloak underneath her as to not accidentally get it wet.

"You're right, we hardly know each other," she replied to him calmly. "But you do need friends, Malfoy. For a true friend, is someone who can see the pain in your eyes, while everyone else believes that smug smirk of yours." Malfoy looked at the girl in honest surprise. He'd been completely cold to this poor girl, and instead of returning the coldness, she showed him an act of kindness. Malfoy's jaw tightened, his eyes narrowing slightly. _How can she possibly tell what is wrong? _Malfoy thought.

"Will you promise not to tell anyone?" Malfoy's icy blue orbs bore into Teodora's soft green. Teodora studied his face for a moment, this time being her turn to be surprised. Not even minutes ago, this boy had implied to her that he had no intention of being friends with her. Now, he was about to entrust her with a secret.

"Yes, I promise that I shall not say a word," she finally replied, offering him a faint encouraging smile. Malfoy turned slightly to face Teodora, oddly finding comfort in her smile.

"I am a bit afraid of my father," he said gingerly. Soon after he said this, Malfoy found himself explaining to Teodora about the frightening punishment methods his father used. He even went as far as telling her that he had overheard that his father was a former follower of He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named. For the first time in a long time, more like ever, Malfoy was finally acting his age. He finally felt that it was okay to be frightened, and that it was okay to trust someone. As Malfoy was describing his family to Teodora, she laid a small hand lightly atop Malfoy's, signaling to him that she was there to help and listen.

For the next few nights, Teodora and Malfoy continued to meet up at their Midnight Garden. They began to get to know each other, and Malfoy had made his first ever friend. He even let Teodora call him by his first name, Draco. As Teodora continued to sneak out, her mother and father started to become more and more suspicious. So, in an effort to save their friendship, Teodora had told her mother and father that she had befriended Draco Malfoy. Her father had been quite pleased to hear this, as Lucius Malfoy was a good friend of his and a fellow employee at the Ministry of Magic. Lorenzo Nerezza, Teodora's father, insisted that they invite the Malfoys over for dinner. And so they did.

* * *

Marziana Nerezza stood behind her daughter, peering into the mirror before them. She gave Teodora a warm smile before picking up a nylon-bristled brush, gently brushing through Teodora's long, silvery locks.

"Now, remember, Dora, the Malfoy family is one of the most important families in the wizarding world. You must be on your best behavior, do you understand?" Teodora wrinkled her nose and cringed at the pet name her mother had given her.

"Yes, mother, I understand. May I ask something of you," Teodora asked with a serious look at her mother's reflection in the ovular mirror. Marziana returned her daughter's gaze and nodded. "Please, mother, I _implore _you to not call me _Dora._" After hearing her daughter's request, Marziana let out a hearty laugh.

"Alright, alright. I shall never call you Dora again." Marziana smiled and turned her head slightly when a knock came at the door. "Enter," she called. The door creaked open, a tiny house elf waddling into the room.

"Mipsey has come to inform Mistress that the Malfoy family has arrived," the house elf squeaked, bowing after the last word.

"Thank you, Mipsey, you're dismissed," Marziana waved her hand slightly, signaling the elf to take her leave. Marziana grabbed Teodora's hand, helping her stand up. Together they made their way out of the bedroom and descended the grand staircase, preparing for a most intimidating evening with one of the most powerful wizarding families in the world.

**A/N: So, there was chapter one! As always, let me know what you think. Thank you! This chapter is dedicated to my dear friend Lily!**


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